We’re still bringing you an inside look at all that is #CAAHoops, but the destination has changed. We’ve moved our content to our CAA Overtime blog. It’s your one-stop shop for all the latest features and videos (and more!) about all of our sponsored sports, including #CAAHoops.

And while you’re updating bookmarks, don’t forget to add CAASports.com, the official internet home of the Colonial Athletic Association.

]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/caa-baseline-buzz-has-moved/feed/0SPA_RS27781kmccarthycaaPreseason WNIT Match-Ups Announcedhttps://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/preseason-wnit-match-ups-announced/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/preseason-wnit-match-ups-announced/#respondTue, 16 Jun 2015 17:25:29 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=3014]]>The match-ups for the Preseason WNIT have been announced and Drexel will play host to Dartmouth on November 13 at Daskalakis Athletic Center for a 7 p.m. tip. The winner will face either South Florida or Jacksonville in the second round. Check out the complete bracket for pairings and game times.

It is the third time in which Drexel will play in the event. The Dragons are 2-2 all-time in Preseason WNIT action. In 2005, the Dragons fell to Boston College. In 2011, Drexel fell at home to LIU in the opening round but picked up wins over Detroit and Akron in the consolation bracket.

]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/preseason-wnit-match-ups-announced/feed/0Game 5: Drexel vs DelawarekmccarthycaaCAA Commissioner Yeager to Retire After 2015-16 Seasonhttps://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/caa-commissioner-yeager-to-retire-after-2015-16-season/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/caa-commissioner-yeager-to-retire-after-2015-16-season/#respondThu, 11 Jun 2015 19:30:09 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=3011]]>After a 40-year career in collegiate athletics, including more than three decades as the only commissioner in the history of the Colonial Athletic Association, Tom Yeager announced today that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season (June 30, 2016).

“It has been my privilege and honor to represent the outstanding institutions in the CAA for what will be 31 years,” said Yeager, who is the longest-tenured commissioner of a NCAA Division I conference. “At the conference’s core is our institutions’ unwavering commitment to conduct their athletic programs as a vital component of their students’ educational experience. I am very proud that this commitment has enabled us to create programs and a competitive environment that has enhanced each student’s experience.”

During an era of unprecedented change in collegiate athletics, Yeager established the CAA as one of the nation’s most successful conferences athletically and academically. He transformed what was once a Virginia/North Carolina conference into a league with a presence in many of the major metropolitan areas on the East Coast. The current CAA footprint, which runs from Boston to Charleston, S.C., encompasses four of the nation’s top nine media markets.

In his tenure, the conference has produced 19 national team champions in five different sports, 33 individual national champions, 16 national coaches of the year and 17 national players of the year. The league also boasts five Rhodes Scholar student-athletes, 24 NCAA post-graduate scholars and 13 Honda Award winners.

The conference garnered national attention with its success in basketball as George Mason (2006) and VCU (2011) advanced to the Men’s Final Four and Old Dominion (1997) reached the Women’s Final Four. National championships have been won in football by Delaware in 2003, James Madison in 2004, Richmond in 2008 and Villanova in 2009.

“It’s a bittersweet day for the CAA,” said Tim Leonard, Director of Athletics at Towson University and President of the CAA. “Tom Yeager built this league and his name is synonymous with the CAA. While we are all very happy for Tom and his retirement, his leadership, vision and passion will be missed. His longevity as commissioner is a testament to the tremendous job he has done. It has been an honor to be in the league and work alongside Commissioner Yeager.”

Yeager has greatly increased the conference’s exposure on television through partnerships with NBC Sports Network, Comcast SportsNet and the American Sports Network. Last year, more than 120 men’s and women’s basketball games, 24 CAA Football games and 10 conference championship games were televised throughout the nation.

The Colonial Academic Alliance was established in 2002 with a goal of expanding partnerships to all aspects of university education and life outside of intercollegiate athletics. It has enabled hundreds of students to showcase their research, facilitated leadership exchanges to promote professional development and developed an academic resource sharing program to support student-athletes.

“Tom Yeager has led our conference as the sole commissioner since its formation in 1985,” said James Madison University President Jonathan Alger. “Under his leadership, many CAA teams have seen great success, including Final Four finishes for our men’s basketball programs, a runner-up finish in the women’s national basketball championship, national FCS championships for our football teams, and national championships in women’s soccer and field hockey. Tom’s steadfast commitment to the development and well-being of our student-athletes is what has formed his true legacy. Thousands of CAA student-athletes have matriculated under his reign and will be forever grateful, as we are, for his deep commitment, dedication and tireless effort to support their development.”

CAA schools have also been very active in community service projects. The CAA Blood Challenge, which is held each fall, has raised over 40,000 units of blood over the past 13 years. The CAA Food Drive Challenge, which is held each spring, has resulted in over 18,000 pounds of donated food and $7,000 in cash contributions in only two years.

Yeager came to the conference office after nine years on the NCAA staff in Kansas City. He joined the NCAA in 1976 as an investigator in the enforcement department. He was promoted to Assistant Director of Legislative Services in 1981 and was named Director of Legislative Services in 1984.

Yeager has been actively involved with NCAA affairs throughout his CAA career. Currently, he is a member of the Committee on Academics, the Football Rules Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors for the NCAA’s College Football Officiating LLC. Yeager is a former chair of one of the NCAA’s most important committees, the Division I Committee on Infractions, which hears and assesses penalties for violations of NCAA rules. Previously he served as a member of the NCAA Council and chaired the NCAA Interpretations Committee for eight years, in addition to serving on numerous other NCAA committees. Well-respected by other commissioners, Yeager is also a former executive vice president of the Collegiate Commissioners Association and was the chair of the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee.

“As the commissioner of the Colonial Athletic Association, Tom Yeager’s integrity, intelligence, leadership, work ethic, sense of humor, dedication to intercollegiate athletics and the student-athlete experience lead the Colonial Athletic Association through challenging growing pains from its inception to maturity,” said Terry Driscoll, Director of Athletics at the College of William and Mary. “Under his tenure the CAA has experienced national championships, dramatic runs in NCAA championships in multiple sports including two Final Four teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. CAA student-athletes and teams have been widely recognized for their athletic and academic achievements. Tom extended his contribution to the intercollegiate athletics serving on various NCAA committees, most notably a member and chair of the Infractions Committee. He has been involved in and influenced the growth and development of intercollegiate athletics at the conference and national level for the past 31 years, creating a legacy of success and service with class and dignity, earning the respect of his peers. I had the great fortune to work closely with him and be his friend for the past 20 years.”

In April, 1994, the National Invitation Tournament recognized Yeager’s contributions to college basketball by selecting him as the “NIT Man of the Year” joining a prestigious group of past recipients including John Wooden, Bobby Knight and Vic Bubas.

Yeager is a 1972 graduate of Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in education (1975). As an undergraduate, he was a member of the gymnastics team; as a graduate student, he was an assistant coach for the squad. After earning his first degree, Yeager worked at the YMCA in Allentown, Pa. He then returned to Springfield as a teaching fellow on the physical education faculty. After receiving his master’s degree, he remained at Springfield as the assistant director of athletics for the 1975-76 school year prior to joining the NCAA staff. In November 2009, Yeager received Springfield’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/caa-commissioner-yeager-to-retire-after-2015-16-season/feed/0Commissioner YeagerkmccarthycaaDrexel Selected for Preseason WNIThttps://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/drexel-selected-for-preseason-wnit/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/drexel-selected-for-preseason-wnit/#respondWed, 10 Jun 2015 12:59:07 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=3007]]>Some exciting news out of Philadelphia, the Drexel Dragons will participate in the 2015 Preseason WNIT in November. The official match-ups and game times will be announced by the WNIT on June 16. But, here is what we do know.

The Preseason WNIT opens with first round action on November 13 with second round play being held November 15-17. The teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games, November 20-21, while the winners advanced to the semifinals on November 19. The Preseason WNIT Championship will be held on November 22 and be televised live on CBS Sports Network.

Last season, Towson University represented the CAA in Preseason WNIT play. The Tigers fell on the road at Penn State and returned home host a pair of games against Rider (W, 53-51) and North Dakota (L, 54-52). It was the first time since 2012 in which a CAA squad was selected for the Preseason WNIT.

]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/drexel-selected-for-preseason-wnit/feed/0Denise DillonkmccarthycaaHofstra’s Ashunae Durant Named All-Met Rookie of the Yearhttps://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/hofstras-ashunae-durant-named-all-met-rookie-of-the-year/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/hofstras-ashunae-durant-named-all-met-rookie-of-the-year/#respondTue, 21 Apr 2015 17:24:00 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=3003]]>Hofstra freshman forward Ashunae Durant was selected as the All-Met Division I Rookie of the Year and an All-Second Team selection by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. Durant continued her stretch of prestigious honors that included the Colonial Athletic Association’s Rookie of the Year award as well as an All-CAA Second Team selection.

Durant averaged the second-most points for Hofstra at 11 per game while posting seven rebounds per contest, which was the sixth-most in the conference. Her 48.7 field-goal percentage was tops on the team and fourth in the CAA. She also shot 74.3 percent from the line.

The Newark, New Jersey product scored in double figures in 22 of 31 games and posted seven double-doubles. She was a six-time CAA Rookie of the Week and was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Week on Jan. 12. Durant was also a two-time ECAC Regional Rookie of the Week pick.

Members of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association voted for the award. Durant became the first Hofstra member to be honored by the organization since Shante Evans was named to the All-Met First Team in 2013.

Seton Hall’s Ka-Deidre Simmons was named the All Met Division I women’s college basketball Player of the Year. Anthony Bozzella, also of Seton Hall, was tabbed as the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year.

The Haggerty Dinner is the longest running media-managed college basketball awards program in the United States.

]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/hofstras-ashunae-durant-named-all-met-rookie-of-the-year/feed/02015 Women's Basketball Championship - Game 8: Hofstra vs DelawarekmccarthycaaJMU’s Lauren Okafor Drafted by Atlanta Dreamhttps://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/jmus-lauren-okafor-drafted-by-atlanta-dream/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/jmus-lauren-okafor-drafted-by-atlanta-dream/#respondFri, 17 Apr 2015 16:15:35 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=2995]]>With the 34th overall pick, the Atlanta Dream drafted James Madison redshirt-senior center Lauren Okafor in the third round of the 2015 WNBA Draft with the team’s second pick. Okafor became the second player in JMU women’s basketball history to be drafted. In 2008, Tamera Young (JMU 2008) was also selected by the Dream, going eighth overall.

Okafor is the JMU third player in the last five seasons to have an opportunity to play at the WNBA level. Dawn Evans (’11) signed a contract with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2011 while Kirby Burkholder (’14) signed a free-agent contract with the Washington Mystics in 2014. Since 1998, there have been 15 CAA players taken in the WNBA draft.

“This is amazing, I’m very happy and very proud of Lady,” Head Coach Kenny Brooks said via JMUSports.com “I think she’s very deserving. Obviously it’s the ultimate league for basketball, and I think she fits right in with her size and strength with as much as she’s improved this year. I think Atlanta is a really good fit, and Michael Cooper is a great coach. I think he’ll push her to levels she can continue to grow towards. I think this is a great testament to our program and I’m extremely happy for her.”

During her senior campaign, Okafor averaged 12.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, tallying 13 double-doubles to lead the Dukes (29-4) to the 2015 Colonial Athletic Association championship and a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. She was named to the 2015 All-CAA First Team, CAA All-Defensive Team, CAA All-Tournament Team and Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State First Team. She was also honored as the 2015 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award recipient and CAA women’s basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The Atlanta Dream finished first in the Eastern Conference in 2014 with a 19-15 regular-season record. The Dream fell in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Chicago Sky, Young’s current team.
]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/jmus-lauren-okafor-drafted-by-atlanta-dream/feed/02015JMUWomen's Basketball NCAA -OHIO STATE-150321-32kmccarthycaa#CAAHoops Sends Five to the Postseasonhttps://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/caahoops-sends-five-to-the-postseason/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/caahoops-sends-five-to-the-postseason/#respondThu, 19 Mar 2015 17:11:28 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=2992]]>Five teams from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) have earned postseason berths.

After successfully defending its CAA Championship, James Madison punched its ticket to the 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. JMU earned the No. 12 seed and will take on No. 5 seed Ohio State on March 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C. as part of the Greensboro Regional. The winner of the meeting between the Dukes and Buckeyes faces the winner of the first-round game between fourth-seeded North Carolina and 13th-seeded Liberty on March 23, in the round of 32.

The Dukes (29-3) are competing in their 11th NCAA Tournament, including their fourth appearance in the last six seasons. Last year, JMU won its first NCAA Tournament contest since 1991, taking down sixth-seeded Gonzaga, 72-63, in the first round as an 11 seed.

Three teams will be represented in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Drexel earned an automatic bid after finishing second in the CAA standings while Elon and Hofstra each received at-large bids. All three teams will play their opening round games on Thursday, March 19.

Drexel (20-10) will play host to Hampton in the opening round. The Dragons are making their fifth WNIT appearance in the last six seasons. In 2013, Drexel had an impressive run and were crowned WNIT champions. Hofstra (20-12), making its fifth WNIT appearance and first since the 2012 campaign, travels to Ivy League foe Penn. Elon (19-12), making its first-ever WNIT appearance and third postseason appearance as a NCAA Division I program, will travel to Georgia Tech.

William & Mary (15-15) earned its first postseason tournament bid in its NCAA Division I history, earning a seventh-seed in the East Region of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). The Tribe will travel to Big East foe and No. 2 seed Xavier in the opening round on March 19.

]]>https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/james-madison-caa-champions-again/feed/0Game 9: Hofstra vs James MadisonkmccarthycaaBidding adieu to 2https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/bidding-adieu-to-2/
https://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/bidding-adieu-to-2/#respondSun, 15 Mar 2015 18:26:19 +0000http://caawomenshoops.wordpress.com/?p=2982]]>While Hofstra has no seniors on its roster, James Madison will graduate Lauren Okafor and Toia Giggetts, two starters who have been instrumental to the success of this season’s team.

Giggetts, battling bad knees, became a 1,000-point scorer this season, and her 136 games played is third in JMU history. Her cousins, pictured, from Pittsburgh were in the stands at the Show Place Arena on Sunday, cheering on the 6-0 forward from Norfolk, Va. Giggetts, btw, has been wearing a mask since her freshman year when she broke her nose.

Okafor, whose 151 blocks and counting are third in JMU history, is the double-double queen with 13 this season. The 6-3 center from Hamden, Conn., is this year’s Dean Ehlers Leadership Award recipient and earned All-Defensive and All-Academic team honors.